·  Informing on the latest progress

Mark Smith updated the forum on the developments for this service.  Costs the council around 13.5 million and covers areas such as parks & country services, cemetery services, rangers, beach/life guards, etc.

The council is currently reviewing this service and Cabinet resolved procurement on service delivery.  This service will be delivered by an external contractor and will deliver the same or a better service that is already in place.

Key Points:

• Contract to go out to an external organisation
• Tenders to be in by Mid April 2011
• Decisions made by June 2011
• Award to a single contractor by early September 2011
• New contractor in place by Christmas 2011
• Series of workshops with members and staff and those who are interested in the following subject areas:
  • sports/clubs
  • golfing
  • bereavement services
  • parks & countryside

• One large contract worth around 8 million, awarded to the best tender

All to be held at Wallasey Town Hall:

3rd March 2011   Committee Room 1 Parks and Open Spaces

8th March 2011   Committee Room 3 Bereavement

5th March 2011   Committee Room 3  Golf

23rd March 2011   Committee Room 1 Sport and Recreation

Q: Cllr D Knowles been down this route a number of times when delegated the bins to Biffa, Streetscene, Colas, Wirral Partnership Homes and a lot of our workforce works for them now.  Can you see one provider looking after parks and gardens as I can think of companies who will look after football pitches and maintain them?  Am I jumping ahead?

A: Mark Smith at the moment with have existing Council work force protected by TUPE transfer.  We ask big providers what the feeling of sub contractor would be and most firms have said they would carry out the work themselves. 

Q: Father Leon Ostaszewski next year there are no park keepers – is that correct in Central Park?

A: Mark Smith we do have Rangers.

Q: Cllr Darren Dodd I am not happy with this, we will have to bring in a non local firm as there isn’t a local firm big enough. 

A: Mark Smith it will attract a National Firm with big presence who will set up local office.  The Council have various local labour policies to make sure local people employed. 

Q: Diane Ledder re: allotments at the moment I am a tenant of the Council am I going to cease being a WBC tenant?

A: Mark Smith will be kept outside the scope and I can confirm the allotments will be managed the same way.

Q: Diane Ledder I am the Chair of Central Park Partnership and since the ranger retired in December I have had a lot of texts, e-mails etc.  The Wall Garden is popular and there is no one to make arrangements with for photos, school visits etc.  The gardens are not open at weekends and am not happy with this.

Comment: Cllr Adrian Jones people in Liscard and Seacombe are aggrieved.

A: Mark Smith I will take it away with me. 

Q: The consultation process was flawed.  You said there were four consultations, are these consultations open to the public or are we having to people chosen specifically for this? People are not seeing consultation as meaningful.

A: Cllr Adrian Jones I think officers are in a difficult position if they are asked to answer political questions..

A: Mark Smith our approach to consultation has a large number of outside stakeholders and user groups. There are extensive meetings with friends and user groups.  There is robust equality working with the likes of the Older Peoples Parliament, youth forum and people like that. 

Q: David Hanlon re: football pitches Central Park and Ryecroft Road are currently very good but in Liscard they are being taken over.  Will there be assurances that they will be looked after?

A: Mark Smith ongoing process at the moment we want people to come along to the sports workshop and tell us, we had one before Christmas.

Comment: Ken Harrison I was at that meeting and it was swamped by bowlers, 80-90 of the people there were bowlers and 4 footballers were there.  It is unfair and biased. 

A: Mark Smith the point here is if there are views and groups of people that we don’t know about, then please let us know – we certainly invited more than four!  If we were light on footballers then I will take that back with me.